I totally sailed through preparation of this dish. I sliced the eggplants, potatoes and onions and then used my dicer-chopper device. I prepped all of the spices in a small bowl and just dumped them in. I also used pre-sliced jalepenos because, well, they were easy. The rice was thrown into the rice cooker when I uncovered the eggplant and it was done at the same time as the eggplant and potatoes.

A recipe note: I opted to use white pepper instead of chili powder because I’ve cooked a lot lately with chili powder and wanted to alter the flavor profile a little bit. Try it with chili power, I’m sure it will come out nicely!

Recipe: Slow-cooked Eggplant and Potatoes

By: Megabeth

Summary: A flavorful eggplant and potato dish with a blend of Indian spices

Golden baked eggplant layered between four different types of cheese is not necessarily a diet dish but it’s comfort food at its finest. (To be honest, I did use a low-fat ricotta but its benefits were immediately cancelled out by the rest of the cheese.)

Empanadas. If you stuff food into a pastry, I’m so totally there. The word “empanada” is derived from the Spanish verb empanar meaning “to wrap with bread”. Empanadas in Spain can either be made as small finger foods or similar to a pie that’s cut into slices.

These little savory pockets are so revered in Spain, that even a 12th century sculptor captured the food in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. From this carving, you could totally tell the upper crust really enjoyed their empanadas.

From: http://www.empanadagallega.info

But, not everyone was allowed to enjoy them…in the same cathedral, these poor guys condemned to the pits of Hell forever tormented by not being able to eat their empanadas because of the leather straps around their necks.

From: http://www.empanadagallega.info

I found many recipes for empanda dough but one thing remained the same – you have to really knead the dough. In fact, I came across this Galacian saying, ‘Making love and making dough for empanadas should never be rushed.’ Did Veggin’ just transfer from a PG to a PG-13 site with that? Uh, okay, moving on…

I put these empanadas together by adapting a couple of recipes. The pastry is almost biscuit-like when it puffs up in the heated oil. The filling is a traditional pisto a sort of Spanish ratatouille. The pisto recipe makes a lot, but don’t be afraid of freezing the leftovers to eat later. It goes well as a sandwich or thrown in an omelet.

Heat the olive oil in a stew pot over medium heat. Saute the eggplant and onion together until the onion is translucent; about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, peppers, and garlic. Saute slowly until all ingredients have softened.

Add tomatoes; stir.

Cover and cook on medium for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Set heat on low and allow to simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding small amounts of water if necessary. The zucchini and eggplant should soften and break down and should form a lumpy mash. Add vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let mixture cool slightly before moving on to make empanadas.

To make the dough:

Put all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Cut in the shortening with two knives.

Whisk egg and vegetable stock. Then add into the flour mixture. Knead until you get a dough. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Flour a flat surface and roll dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 4-inch circles using a glass or a biscuit cutter. Place 1 Tablespoon of the pisto into the center of the circle (make sure you drain off some of the liquid before putting it on the dough).

Fold dough into a 1/2 circle. Press the edges together with your finger, then finish using a fork.

Heat vegetable oil in a pan (about a 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) to about 350 degrees. Place empanadas into oil and fry on each side for 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown.

Even though the Giro is over, I still have a few recipes left from Italy to feature. This Sicilian recipe, with Spanish origins, features eggplant which were first brought over to the island back to the ninth century. It was introduced by people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia. Culinary scholars believe that using the eggplant in this fashion most likely dates back to the 1700’s and might possibly have been invented by a Spaniard on a ship that used the vinegar as a preservative.

The sweet and vinegary dish is best served at room temperature or slightly chilled. I’m usually a little hesitant to add celery because it tends to draw attention away from the rest of the dish. But, in this case, the sweetness counterbalanced that overbearing celery taste.